I planned it all, I'm sorry

We only used one car because David wanted me not to feel stressed on our trip.

He didn't call his driver because he said he wanted to take me to II Nuovo Inizio by himself.

Every time I think about my jewelry store, I remember how much work I had to put in just to get there.

"Shouldn't you be happy? Why are you crying?" He asked as I looked out the car window.

I felt David grab my left hand and squeeze it.

"You have no idea how happy I am right now, I used to dream of building II Nuovo Inizio here in the Philippines, I thought I wouldn't be able to go home. But because of my little dream that came true, is the reason why I can face my fear of going home here." I said, and lightly wiped the tears that dripped from my eyes.

I know that David has said many times that I should put a branch of II Nuovo Inizio here in Cebu but I have also rejected it several times for many reasons and all of them are valid reasons.

"I believe that this is the right time for me to pursue this, it is really The New Beginning for me," I said and smiled at the absence.

He touched my left cheek and caressed it, "in this new beginning I am still with you, and I’m not gonna leave you in this journey of yours."

I turned to him and saw him smiling even though he was facing the road.

He looked at me quickly and when he noticed my tears dripping he wiped them away with his hand caressing my cheek.

I smiled and held his hand.

I'm ready.

~

When we arrived at my Jewelry shop, many cameras and media were immediately waiting for us.

I was even more nervous because of the people here today to witness the ribbon cutting.

I don’t know how I’m going to feel, I’m kinda nervous but at the same time excited.

David stopped his car and removed his seatbelt as well as my seatbelt.

He touched both my cheeks and slowly turned me to him.

"Hon, be brave. I love you, I'm just here next to you. I know you'll be new to what's going to happen today because your opening in Italy isn't like this. Don't be afraid of all the cameras, just smile, okay?" After he said that, he kissed me on my forehead.

"Aye, aye, Captain!" I said with a smile.

But the truth is I’m not comfortable with a lot of people.

When we first opened in Italy, there weren't many people there.

David smiled at me and he got out of the car, I waited for him to turn around to open it for me.

And when I got down I didn't expect what would happen next.

"Abigail Fuentes!"

"Are you really still married to Jacob Fuentes?"

"Is the reason for your separation due to a third party?!"

"How did you make the two richest people in the country fall for you?”

I have nothing more to say because my world has literally stopped.

David hugged me as I approached the entrance of II Nuovo Inizio.

David held my hand tightly.

Assuring me that everything will be alright.

I was amazed at a lot of people waiting for my answers to their questions and David even managed to put his face to my ear.

"Don't be affected. It's normal because even with a more important event today they will try to destroy you and when you are bitten and hurt, you lose. You have to show everyone that you are brave and you are unstoppable." After he said that he squeezed my hand and smiled at me.

"Those questions to my fiancé seem painful on my part." David jokes with reporters.

"Mr. David Fuentabuella, is it true that you will continue to marry the woman who is already married to the man who is your business rival?" I can't stand the questions they ask.

Instead of them asking about II Nuovo Inizio they asked about my personal life, and for it’s beyond my limit.

"What's wrong with that? Have you ever been in love? Because if you love someone, you'll understand me and you won't ask me that nonsense question, but just to answer it-" David said calmly to all of them, and their microphones were all focused on David. "-you don't know what I went through before she accepted me into her life, I've waited for how many years before I heard her say she loves me, you don't know how much I can protect her because I love her so much," David said, smiling.

As he said that I couldn't help but smile.

He is really David.

He always gives me a reason to calm down and believe that everything will be fine as well.

Those smiles, those eyes looking at me.

I knew I was safe.

"In other words, do you agree to a third party? And do you really accept that Mr. Fuentes will be a lifelong rival? And what if Mr. Fuentes doesn't agree to your marriage plan?"And they have really entered my personal life.

I don't know what other face I will put on them all. I am the one who is ashamed of David.

But I was so shocked when David touched my chin and lifted it so that our eyes could meet.

"I'm ready for everything, I'm ready for all the possibilities and consequences." He said sincerely.

I can see the sincerity in his eyes again.

He was always the one who defended me, he was always the one who had the courage.

He is always hurt by what others say.

I can't speak, but that doesn't mean I can’t defend him.

It's not over yet, there are many more questions to follow but we didn't pay any attention to them because Fred came to ask the media to stop their questions first because the ribbon-cutting ceremony is about to begin.

I talk to my other investors and then I came to the last investor, "Sofia Takahashi." said the beautiful woman who I thought was only my age and she shook my hand.

I accepted her hand.

I seemed stunned because of her beauty, long eyelashes, puffy eyes, and that were blue, her long blonde hair even suited her.

I didn't realize that I couldn't talk, "I-I'm sorry. Pardon?" I said because I'll admit that I didn’t hear what she was saying because I was focused on her appearance.

"Thank you for inviting us here on your special day, I'm one of your investors and I'm looking forward to our future sales." She said while still smiling.

She was one of my investors, but I don't remember having a meeting with her.

"Thank you so much for accepting my invite, I'm sorry I just don't remember you in my meetings with my investors."

"Oh, that's all because of my secretary. She's always the one who's been in your meetings, I have a full schedule every day and I just canceled all my appointments today just to witness this grand opening of II Nuovo Inizio.” This time she gave me her sweetest smile.

I suddenly felt David squeeze my hand.

David approached me and whispered to me, "hon, we’re about to start." He said.

That's when I realized that I was really focused on Sofia.

"Thank you so much, Ms. Takahashi. I really appreciate your presence. Please, excuse me." I said and smiled at her. She just smiled at me as her response.

I was surprised when the media suddenly got into a commotion and preceded the oncoming vehicle.

When the man came down here, I was just as shocked when Jacob came with Catherine and Callie.

I’ll admit I felt a lot of pain when I saw Jacob who was carrying Callie.

If only my son was alive, he would be like this to me now, I would have him to celebrate with me.

David put his arm around me which made me smile bitterly, because of what happened in my past.

But because David is always by my side, somehow the not-so-good things that happened in my past are alleviated.

Catherine and Jacob didn’t notice that they had almost passed the media.

Their photos were also taken consistently.

I don’t feel jealous or envious.

When they were in front of us already, Jacob brought Callie down.

Callie went straight to me so I bent down slightly to hug her.

Catherine shook my hand so I accepted.

"Abigail, you don't know how proud I am of you now. One of your dreams has come true-"

Jacob didn't finish what he was saying because David immediately cut him off, "are you really going to praise my fiance in front of me?"

"So far as I know she's still my wife."

I raised an eyebrow at Jacob.

By now I knew that Jacob was just picking on David.

"Come on, I think the Mass is about to begin." Catherine cuts to the two of them.

I smiled because the aura was not the same as before when the four of us had a friendship.

I felt comfortable facing them both.

I was a little shocked because Callie held my hand and her other hand was Catherine's.

"Auntie, you are so beautiful," Callie said, which is why I shivered.

I know because the child does not know how to lie.

"Who is better, mom or aunt Abigail?" Catherine asked.

It really is! She doesn't want to lose.

"You are both beautiful." Callie’s play-safe answer.

So Catherine and I looked at each other and we laughed.

I noticed Sofia looking at us.

I can't explain her reaction but she smiled at us.

So I returned that smile to her.

We sat at the front as we waited for the priest to begin the mass.

Fred approached us and whispered something to David.

"Okay, let them just go here in the first row," David replied to Fred.

"What's that, hon?" I will ask.

"You'll see." His answer was simple.

That's why I didn't ask again.

It really feels different when you see what you are working on, I’m just looking at the ribbon in front of the door to II Nuovo Inizio.

"I can't wait to cut that rib-"

I didn’t finish what I was going to say when I saw people I hadn’t seen in a long time.

They are the people who are so important to me, "Mom? Dad?"

I burst into tears and immediately stood up to hug them both.

"Abi, we missed you! You didn't tell us about what happened, you also didn't tell us you were coming home." Dad said to me.

"I'm so sorry, it's a long story."

"I love you, honey!" Mom told me.

"No! I love you more!" I told mom and hugged her tightly again.

"Hon, there's more," David said.

I turned to him when he said that so he grabbed both my shoulders and turned me to the isle.

I literally covered my mouth when I saw Grace, Travis, and Chad.

My best friend, Grace, I never thought I would see her today.

I never thought that in what happened before I would not feel angry or resentful toward her now.

"I'm sorry, Abi." Grace hugged me.

"Sshh, you don't have to be sorry. I know your previous situation will make it really hard for you to choose." I said, but I didn’t mean to be sarcastic in what I said.

Grace turned to David.

So I looked at David too.

"I'm really sorry too, David." Said Grace.

"No, I'm sorry because I did it to you just to make you admit where your best friend is. It’s alright, I just really love her and I want to protect her at all cost." Said, David.

"Are we really just going to say sorry to each other here?!" Chad was joking.

We laughed and Chad hugged me.

But to my surprise, David suddenly pulled me away.

"Don't you ever touch my wife!" David said in his deep voice.

"Hon!" I called him and he just glared at me.

We all laughed at David's attitude.

I can't believe now despite the sadness I had earlier it all went away because of what is happening now.

"Congratulations, our dear Abi." Travis hugged me too.

I miss them all.

Everything that happened in the past disappeared because I also understood why they did that because for Jacob they were closer.

I looked at them all, I saw mom and dad sweetly looking at me. I smile back.

"Thank you so, so much for being here on my special day!" I gladly told them all.

I looked at David, he bent down and took my hand.

"Do you know all of this?" I asked him.

"I planned it all, I'm sorry." He even bit his lip and told me.

"Abigail! What did you do to David and it turned out to be like that?!" Chad laughed teasingly.

We all turned our attention to Jacob because he was coughing loudly.

"Maybe it's not embarrassing for you that I'm here?" He told us all.

"What do I care if you're there?" David said angrily to her.

"Maybe it's not embarrassing either, Jacob that I'm here?" Catherine said with a raised eyebrow.

We all laughed again.

I'm just happy now, especially since we seem to go back to the times when we formed our friendship.

I noticed that someone was looking at us so I turned around, I saw Sofia smiling at our side so I simply looked at my companions to see if she had any acquaintances and I noticed Grace looking at her and Travis.

Catherine's recent burst of laughter became serious when she saw Sofia as well.

Do they know each other?

When the priest arrived, we arranged our seats.

The mass took a while.

So after that, the host spoke for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to be held.

I stood in front when the host asked me to go in front and David followed me holding my hand to support me as I went behind the ribbon attached to both poles before the door of my store.

"Welcome, everyone! Today we celebrate the grand opening of my jewelry business. We are so thankful to so many of you, who have been with us every step of the way so that this day would finally come. My name is Abigail Lopez, and I am the owner of II Nuovo Inizio." My introduction. “I would like to introduce a few special people in my life, my mom and dad, my friends, my nephew, Callie, and most especially my other half, David. Thank you so much for everything you do for me. I do really love you.”

I said and I was even a little shocked because David turned me to him and he kissed my forehead.

Everyone was chanting ‘more’ because of what he did.

He looks even more handsome when he does that! I smiled suddenly.

"You're still a Fuentes!" Everyone was silent when suddenly someone shouted at the crowd.

My eyes searched for that person but I could not find it, everyone was focused on the place where the voice came from but they also failed to find it.

No one tells the media who it is, of course, they will cover it up.

"Who-"

I didn't finish David, I held his hand, in the many problems we went through, David was always there for me, for us to defend.

I believe it is now my turn to do him a favor.

"I didn't expect this to be the topic when I arrived earlier, I know I'm still married to Jacob Fuentes but we have separate lives now. And if you look at him now he has a beautiful wife and even more he has a very sweet daughter, Callie. We are open, we are not bitter. We are on good terms. So whatever you tell me about my personal life, for your information, I'm okay, I'm fine, and I am in love with David Fuentabuella."

I heard Travis shout, "that’s our dearest Abi!"

Others shouted and applauded.

I looked at David with a blush on his cheek.

I laughed at his reaction, he was thrilled!

I turned my gaze to Jacob who was currently frowning.

He is really annoying!

“So before we forget the main event today, Let us now cut the ribbon,” I announced.

"Wait, but before that, we need to take a picture." Said, David.

I forgot that thing.

Lots of photos were taken. We have mom and dad with us, our friends with Jacob and Catherine and Callie, and the last one is just the two of us David.

When the picture taking was over, David and I cut both ribbons.

People applauded and that's how happy I was to see the important people in my life happy.

"On behalf of II Nuovo Inizio, we would like to thank each of you for taking time out of your busy schedule today. Thank You." David said to them all.